THE streets of Liverpool were the scene of another serious gun crime yesterday when a man was shot dead after a late-night party.

Police last night named the victim as Eugene Ogunboro, a 25-year-old from Toxteth.

He was hit twice in the chest by a shotgun in Falkner Street, Toxteth, and died minutes later.

Police yesterday cordoned off the road and forensic officers carried out a fingertip search of the area. Colleagues also made house-to-house inquiries.

Mr Ogunboro's death is the latest in a series of gun crimes that have hit Liverpool since mid-summer.

The killing brings the number of incidents involving firearms to at least seven in the past four months.

Last night police said they could not rule out a connection with the shooting of six-year-old Makada Weaver, who is in hiding since her family was sprayed with bullets at their home in Edge Hill two weeks ago.

Mr Ogunboro had been at a party at a block of flats in Falkner Street, and left just before 3.30am.

Shortly afterwards, neighbours heard shots fired and the victim was left dying in the road.

Before an ambulance arrived, a group of men in a green F-registration Volvo picked him up and took him to the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

A post mortem by a Home Office pathologist revealed he died from two shots to his chest.

Police are trying to trace everyone at the party and have urged them to come forward. They also want to speak to the men who took Mr Ogunboru to hospital, although they are not believed to be involved in the killing.

Supt Colin Matthews said: "So far we cannot rule anything out or in. At present we are working on this being linked to a set of circumstances from that evening rather than other incidents in the area.

"At the moment, it does seem likely there may have been an argument at the party but we are following up lots of different lines of inquiry.

"Officers have carried out a detailed search of the area.

"We believe the incident involved people known to each other and essentially does not represent a threat to the community."

However, the fact that Liverpool has seen a number of serious shooting incidents in a relatively short period of time will raise fears that gun culture is making an ugly return to the city.

Two weeks ago Makada was shot in the arm.

Her mother Valerie, 35, and brother Adrian, 19, were also shot.

That incident has been linked to a gangland feud after Makada's uncle, Eugene Weaver, was cleared of the murder in 2000 of Clay Benjamin. Four years earlier, Eugene's step-father, Owen Graham, was gunned down in Toxteth. The killer has never been caught.

On September 16, shots were fired at a house in Broad Square, Norris Green, in a suspected gangland attack.

The following day, former Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison's home was also fired at.

Liverpool footballer John Ostemobor, from Speke, was shot in the buttock by a gunman in city centre Slater Street.

Supt Matthews added: "I would like to reassure the public that we are doing everything we can. Clearly an incident like this does have a serious impact on the community.

"The force will not tolerate gun crime. Patrols have been stepped up in the Falkner Street area."

* Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0151-777 8681 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111.

RECENT GUN ATTACKS IN LIVERPOOL

* AUG 26: Man shot in a quiet residential street at Melling, near Aintree, in an apparent road rage incident after two cars collide.

* SEPT 16: Gunmen fire shots at a house in Broad Square, Norris Green, in a suspected gangland attack.

* SEPT 17: Gunshots fired at the West Derby home of pop singer and former Brookside star Jennifer Ellison.

* OCT 5: Liverpool footballer John Ostemobor, from Speke, shot in the buttock by a gunman in Slater Street, Liverpool city centre. Two other males, aged 18 and 24, also shot.